Corporal Cyril Bassett VC

Cyril Royston Guyton Bassett (3 January 1892 - 2 January 1983) was the first New Zealander to be awarded the VC in World War I when he was 23 years old, and a corporal in the New Zealand Divisional Signal Company, New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

After training in Egypt, Bassett and the rest of the New Zealand Divisional Signal Company first saw action during the 25 April landing at Gallipoli. He survived numerous battles up to and including Chunuk Bair, where he won his VC.

Bassett was one of the signallers in support of the attack by New Zealand, Gurkha and British soldiers on Chunuk Bair Ridge, Gallipoli. The New Zealanders achieved the ridge despite horrendous losses.

On 7 August 1915 at Chunuk Bair Ridge, Gallipoli, Turkey, after the New Zealand Infantry Brigade had attacked and established itself on the ridge, Corporal Bassett, in full daylight and under continuous fire, succeeded in laying a telephone line from the old position to the new one on Chunuk Bair. He also did further gallant work in connection with the repair of telephone lines by day and night under heavy fire. He is quoted "I was so short that the bullets just passed over me".

But in the end it was all for nought.  The New Zealanders held on at Chunuk Bair for just over two days, an act of defiance for which they paid a truly horrific price.  However, within a few hours of being relieved by two inexperienced British New Army battalions the Turks mounted yet another assault on the battered position and this time, under the direct command of Mustafa Kemal himself, they succeeded and drove the British off.